ST JOSEPH'S ABBEY, SPENCER MA

A point worth pondering is the link between Scripture and contemplation. The Cistercian Fathers insisted especially on the link between Scripture and the Beatific Vision. And so Saint Bernard will say, “Reading is an anticipated vision of divine glory.” Our understanding of Scripture is ordained to that supreme contemplation where we shall see its Author face to face. The journey begins with the reading of the sacred texts in the darkness of faith, which is a kind of incipient vision. To the eyes of faith, God’s face shines dimly in the shadows, but it is not yet revealed in all its splendor. And so, we must continue to seek it in the pages of Scripture. As Augustine said so beautifully in his commentary on Psalm 104:   “When love grows, the search for what has already been found also grows.” If perfect contemplation is reserved for heaven, it is also true, according to the Fathers, that to understand with our mind the mysteries of Scripture and to live them is already to live in t...

  In the presence of the angels, I will sing your praises Lord. As we celebrate Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and all the holy angels and archangels, these messengers of God Most High, we recall that as each day we chant our praise to God, we are joining them in their endless praise. Indeed, when we pray the heavens are thrown open, and we are one with the angels and saints in their ceaseless adoration.  And we invoke the help and protection of the angels. Because of their roles in salvation history, traditionally Saint Michael is known as the patron of police officers and guards; Saint Gabriel, as patron of messengers and mail carriers; and Saint Raphael, as patron of physicians. Praise the Lord, you angels and archangels! Detail of  The Assumption  by Fra Angelico.

I f your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna…   Mark 9 Jesus’ radical, seemingly ridiculous exhortation to us is meant to catch us off-guard. Jesus is speaking kingdom language here, spoken in the kingdom, that place where nothing whatever is more important than doing the Father’s will. So, Jesus speaks these crazy words to us: “Cut off your hand, your foot, poke out your eye if they cause you to sin.”  And the invitation is to get beyond the words,  beyond the obvious , to the heart of his message - God’s desire for our absolute holiness. Jesus is teachin...

Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day; Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way! Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine; Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine! Mary the wheatsheaf, Christ the living Bread; Mary the rose tree, Christ the Rose blood-red! Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord; Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored! Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest; Mary the mirror, Christ the mother’s Son. Both ever blest while endless ages run. Amen. Photograph by Father Emmanuel. Mary the Dawn , text by Paul Cross,1953 St. Pius X Hymnal.

  The characteristic Cistercian habit is the white cowl which is given to the monk at his solemn profession. It is a sign of his consecration and of the unity of the whole Order. As he blesses the cowl during the rite of solemn profession the abbot prays to the Lord Jesus, "May its ample folds be for our brother a daily reminder of the freedom which he received in baptism. May its form of a cross remind him of the life he is to lead in following you, and may he be clothed entirely in your unutterable mercy." The cowl is worn by the solemnly professed monks; the cloak is worn by novices and simply professed brothers. In the warmer months, we do not wear cowls or cloaks in church. But as mornings get chillier, we await the prior's announcement which appeared on the community bulletin board last evening: "Resume Cowls and Cloaks for Vigils, Lauds and Mass."

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”  Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” Mark 9 In the Incarnation, God has come down to us, to imitate us, his own creation and so himself become imitable in his lowliness, littleness. In Christ Jesus, our Lord, the Father has placed a dear Child, his only Son, in our midst to teach what God is really like. And If we are to be "imitators of God as his own dear children"- it is now possible because God in Christ first imitated his parents at Nazareth. God's Word learned to speak words from listening to Joseph and Mary. The Creative Word learned the trade of carpentry from Joseph. When we hear Jesus say, "I can only do what I see the F...

The mercy of God is limitless, and it is open to a soul to the last breath. But it must also be chosen by means of a cry for mercy coming from a heart repentant for sins.   Let us cry out incessantly. Lines by Father Donald Haggerty